Device for determining the existence of peripheral edges of coins



United States Patent Inventors Norman Foster Ottawa, Ontario and Kenneth Ward Simpson, Brantford, Ontario, Canada Appl. No. 713,986

Filed March 18, 1968 Patented Oct. 27, 1970 Assignee Northern Electric Company Limited Montreal, Quebec, Canada DEVICE FOR DETERMINING THE EXISTENCE OF PERIPHERAL EDGES OF COINS 5 Claims, 9 Drawing Figs.

U.S. Cl 194/97 Int. Cl l. G07f 3/02 Field of Search 194/97, 971

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,831,217 11/1931 Wistoft'. 194/97 3,176,818 4/1965 0kolischan.... 194/97 2,003,771 6/1935 Graf 194/971 2,073,392 3/1937 Knee 194/971 Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg Attorney-Curphey and Erickson Patented Oct. 27, 1970 Sheet INVENTORS KENNETH WARD SIMPSON Patented Oct. 27, 1970 3,536,177

Sheet 2 vof4 INVENTORS KENNETH WARD SIMPSON NORMAN FOSTER BY twp/22;? a.

' Patented Oct. 27, 1970 Sheet MWQ 55M 2 M 9 m. m w m w an m m n a a w umm w wnuu @afii fi\| l {L 7 5 2 3 Fig, 5

Fig.4

INVENTORS KENNETH WARD SIMPSON NORMAN FOSTER. BY W #MOIL Patented Oct.'27, 1970 Z za /i! I I I I I I I I r I I I I r I! VIIII/l/II/I/II Sheet I 27 ET INVENTORS KENNETH WARD SIMPSON NORMAN FOSTER DEVICE FOR'DETERMINING TIIE EXISTENCE F PERIPHERAL EDGES 0F COINS This invention relates to a coin accepting apparatus of the type which can be used in association with vending machines, for example, with pay telephones or refreshment dispensing types. More specifically, it is of the type which detects certain physical attributes of coins and accepts or rejects them accordingly.

In the past, coin sorters and coin acceptors utilizing various principles have been devised. Most of them consisted of contrivances or combinations of mechanical contrivances to influence the path of coins through adifferentiating apparatus according to the coins'thickness, diameter, weight, or hardness. Others used some of these structures in combination with magnets, such that the speed of the coins passing the magnets was influenced in accordance with the paramagnetic properties of the coins-All of the above methods require apparatus which consists of a large number of parts, a large proportion of which are pivotally mounted, which therefore require close tolerances during manufacture.

Also, the magnets employed in these apparatus are usually cast in housings attached to or forming part of a wall of the chutes within which the coins roll. It is often found that the temperatures used in casting the magnets into their housings affects the properties of the magnets and renders them virtually useless for their intended function so that they have to be remagnetized, and this has proven to be very difficult.

Another disadvantage of hitherto known coin accepting apparatus has been that, in some instances, it has been found that the larger diameter coins, when slightly worn, will not trigger its feed mechanism as it should, causing rejection of good coins, the feed mechanism in this case being dependent upon the full diameter of the coins when new. This has proven to be a source of annoyance to the public using the machine in which such coin accepting apparatus is installed.

In addition to the above disadvantages associated with the aforementioned coin apparatus which depends on the composition of the coin for the operation,-such composition is sometimes changed in various countries. Consequently, much of the existing coin apparatus has to be either readjusted or replaced with coin apparatus which has been designed to detect the new coinage composition. Since the new composition coins have to be introduced gradually as the older ones are retired, the period of transition becomes a very great problem for the users of the existing coin apparatus, since the coin acceptors must accept both the old and new composition coins.

The one characteristic which is common to nearly all coin denominations of the world is that of having a peripheral edge or rim protruding from both sides of the coin. The purpose of the rim is to define accurately the periphery of the coin and to protect the face against excessive rubbing which tends to erase it. It has been'found that the inside edge-of the rim is very sharp edged and retains this quality until almost all of the face of the coin has disappeared with wear at which time a coin is normally retired. The slugs and washers most often employed in an attempt to cheat coin machines, do not have a rim or edge on both sides, but often only a punching burr on one side. While it is true that somepublic transportation tokens sometimes have a rim or edge protruding from both sides and are of such size that they can often pass for a dime, they usually have token value of more than the corresponding size coin, and therefore are not normally employed as slugs.

According to our invention, we have provided a coin chute in which is mounted sensing means to detect the peripheral edges protruding from both sides of a coin and in response to the detection to deflect the coin towards an accept station. Also, according to our invention, we have provided means to allow spurious coins not influenced by the sensing means to travel toward a reject station.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred and other embodiments of the invention, in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevation view of a coin chute with a cutaway section which shows a sensing means mounted-inside the chute.

FIG. 2 is a front view of part of a coin chute showing the path of a coin as it undergoes detection and acceptance or rejection by a sensing means.

FIG. 3a is a rear elevation view of a coin chute with a cutaway section which shows the upper of apair of sensing means mounted inside the chute. I 7

FIG. 3b is a front elevation view of a-coin chute with a cutaway section which shows the lower of a pair of sensing means mounted inside the chute.

FIG. 4 is a left side elevation view of a coin chute with a,cut-' FIG. 7a is a sectional side view taken along the lines B-B and in the direction of the arrows as indicated in FIG. 7.

As mentioned above, a slug maybe differentiated from a coin in that there-is a peripheral rimor edge protruding from both sides of a coin, while a slug may have no rims or possibly a single rim or burr produced during its punching. FIG. 1 shows an elevation view of a coin chute equipped with a sensing means to detect a rim or edge on one side of a coin and to reject a slug without a rim or edge on that same side.

FIG. 1 shows a vertically disposed chute 1, comprising an entry zone 2, and delivery zone 3 composed of a reject station 4 and an accept station 5. The dimensions of the chute l are suitable to guide a coin through its length with only a small amount of tolerance, past a sensing means 6. The sensing means 6 is adapted to detect at least one of the edges of a coin, and in response to the detection, to influence the travel'of the coin towards the accept station 5,:and to allow the spurious coin not influenced to travel toward the reject station 4.

The sensing means 6 may comprise a resiliently loaded protuberance extending into the chute in the path of the coin, but off-centre of a horizontal diameter of the coin, and adjacent the side of the chute closest to the accept station.

The preferred form of the sensing means comprises a leaf spring 9, one end of which is fastened to a wall 7 of the chute l by means of a screw 10, and the other end 11 of which flares out and forms an axle 12 which supports, and upon which rotates, a flanged bearing 13 having a narrower and a larger diameter section. The thickness of the larger diameter section of the bearingl3 is such that it will fit between the inside of the peripheral edge and the outside perimeter of the legend on the face of the smallest coin which the apparatus is required to accept. The outer periphery'of the larger diameter section 14 of the bearing 13 is sharp edged. The bearing is of a material much harder than that of a .coin, i.e. stainless steel, so thatit will show little wear over many years of use.

A niche 8 is formed in a wall 7 of the chute within which is mounted sensing means 6 such that except for the bearing 13, there will be no interference with the coin. The sensing means 6 isprovided with: an adjustment screw 15 which biases the spring 9 away from the inside wall of the chute so that the tension of the bearing 13 against a coin passing through the chute 1 may be adjusted. The adjustment screw 15 is threaded through the wall on which the sensing means 6 is mounted, and presses against the middle. section of the leaf spring, and thereby may be adjusted to force the bearing 13 further into the chute l.

The sensing means 6 is mounted in its niche preferably at a 45 angle to the horizontal but the angle can vary from approximately 15 to 75 and the sensing means will still operate, but with some degradation of performance. The sensing means is mounted with its fastened end above the detecting end, and such that the bearing 13 itself is disposed to engage a descending coin in the area between the inside of the peripheral edge andthe outside perimeter of the legend on the face of the coin. The bearing 13 extends into the chute from the side wall l6 a distance approximately, but not .greaterthan, the diameter of the coin minus the width of the" peripheral edge of h the coin and .is situated approximate lyton the horizontal lineformed by the lower extremity of the chute.

FIGS. 30, 3b, 4 and 5 show front and sideelevation views of the preferred form of the invention, comprising a coin chute with sensing means to detect the edges on both sides of a coin,

section 30 is connected to athi d vertical section 32 by a second horizontal section 33. Th sefi've sections of the chute are integrallyiconnected to form "a tube like conduit of rectangular cross section ahd of such a dimension'as to freely guide a coin of predetermined denomination in .:a vertical attitude therein with a small amount of tolerance.

j The upper end of the first vertical section29 is open, and it defines the entry zone to the chute 249A section of the bottomof the first horizontal section 31 opposite the lower extremity of the first vertical section 29 is opento the rear of the chute 24, and it defines the upper reject station 27 FIG. 4). A section of the bottom of the secondhorizontal section 33 op-, posite the lower extremity of the second vertical section 30is are apertures through which the slugs will be rejected from the chute..All the rejected slugs can be guided toa common reject receptacle, from the reject stations, if desired.v The third vertical section 32 opens to the front of the chute 24 and it defines the accept station 26-(FIG.*4). Coins moving through the ac.-

ceptstation 26 can be'usedto operate a microswitch or perform someiother useful function prior to falling into a com-.

mon receptacle. e

Returning to FIGS. 3a 3b 4 and 5 in common, thefirst sensing means 39 is mounted in niche 37 formed into thefront plate 34 of the chute, and a second sensing means ,40 is mounted in niche 38 formed into the rear wall of the chute.

The first sensing means 39 is disposed at the lower extremity 'of the first vertical section 29 and the second sensing means 40 is disposed at the lower'extremity of the second vertical section 30. The sensing means 39 and 40 are homologous with the sensing means described "above and theyare mounted.

flaterally through a 90 angle and travels via the .second slides over the coin. As thecoin falls further,;the bearing 13 encounters the engaging area 4 2of the coin 45. The engaging 1 area 42 comprises the; annular ring between the outside perimeter of the legend on the face of the coin and the inside of the peripheral edge 44 of the coin. Since the outer periphery of the larger diameter section 14 of the bearing 13 is sharp edged, it effectively hooks ,theinside of the peripheral edge 44 ofthe coin 45. Since the bearing is at about 45. to the original directionof the coin, and is off-centre of a horizontal diameter of the coin, the latter pivots laterally on the bearing and is released from it when-its new direction of travel ,is approximately in linewith the rotational plane of the bearing 13. The combination of the momentum of the coin and of the lateral rotation imparted to it by the bearing results in the coin being effectively deflected laterally through about a 90? angle.

The coin then travels through-the first horizontal section3l and reaches the upper openingof the second vertical section 30 wherein it drops towards thesecond sensing means 40. mounted on the reanwall 35 of the chute. i i

As the coin enters the second ;vertical section 30 of the chuteit falls through it, gaining momentum. The coin encounters the second sensing means 40 .andthe sensing action describedabove is repeated but thistime the edge 44 on the other side of the coin is detected. The coin is again. deflected horizontal section 33' of the chute to the upper opening of the also open to the rear of the chute 24 and it definesthe lower,

reject station 28 (FIG. 5). The upper and lower reject stations 30 within the chutein accordance .with the criteria setout for the sensing means described with reference to FIG..l.

Certain types of slugs such as ones which are verylightmay be introduced into the coin chute, and may tend to get stuck in the sensing means area due to the pressure exerted against them by the bearing portion of the sensing means. To facilitate the removal of these odd pieces of material, the front plate can be pivotallymounted. -FIG. 6 shows'a chute 24 withzalfront plate 34 pivotally mounted by .means of pivot 41; Lifting the front plate:releases the pressure of the bearings against'the slugs, therebydislodging the slugs stuck. therein. The front. plate 34 should ofcourse be normally held'closed against the back plate 35, for instance, by spring pressure. 1

Having thus described the structural characteristics of this new coin accepting'apparatus, a description ,of operation follows to facilitate a better understanding of the invention; a FIG. 2 is a representative schematic of a coin chute according to this'invention, displaying the path of a coin as it un-,

dergoes detection by a sensingmeans. Shown=is a chute 24, a

coin 45 and a bearing 13 which engages the engaging area 42 'of the'coin 45. Onlythat portion of the bearing 13 in contact. V with the coin 45 is shown for clarity. Y

Referring toFlGS. 3a 3b 4 and 5, when a coin is inthird vertical section 32 wherein it falls towards the accept station 26. t

It is to be understood here that'the first sensing means can be mounted on the rear wall of the chute and the second sensing meanscan be mounted on the front plate of the chute,

since the object is tohave one sensing means detect the,

peripheral edge of one side of the coin and the othersensing means detect the otherperipheral edge on the other side of the coin. r

When a slug is introduced in this apparatus, a number of results are obtained depending onthe characteristics of the slugs. In the majority of cases the slugs employed to attempt to cheat a coin machine are of a metal composition and resemble a coin fairly closely inweight, thickness, diameter, etc., except that they donot have a peripheral edge on both sides. Some of these slugs have a peripheral edgeprotruding from one side,

said edge being a punching burr. In the case where a slug 46 withno peripheral edge .is introduced in chute 24, it falls through the first vertical section 29 and encounters the first sensing means 39. As in the case of a coin, the bearing 13 of the firstgsensing means 39 .will be pushed outward into its niche and the bearingwill roll over the slug. But, as there is no peripheraledge to the slug, thesharp edge of the bearing will not encounter any obstruction and will have no effect on the slug except to slow it down slightly, and it will continue in its direction .of travel which is straight down and through the. upper-reject station 27. The slug 46 can then be guided from i the upper reject station 27fto a common reject receptacle (not shown).

.If a slug 46 introduced in the entry zone 25 has a peripheral edge on one side of it, and if thatside faces the bearing, the

" peripheral edge of the slugis detected as if it was a coin by the first sensing means 39,"and is deflected laterally through a angle.. The slug then travels through the first horizontal section troduced in the entry zone 25 ofpthe'coin chute 24; it falls through; the first vertical section and encounters the first sensing means 39. The momentum imparted to the coin by the fall through the first vertical section is such that'the leading edge of the coin .pushes back the bearing 13, which rolls or 31 to the opening of the second vertical section 30 of the chute wherein it drops and encounters the second sensing means 40. Since the second sensing means 40 detects no other peripheral: edge on the other side ofjthe slug, it is. notdeflected. Thebearing 13 has no effect on the slug except to slow it down slightly, and it continues in its direction of travel which is straight down and out through the lower reject station 28 from which it can be guided to a common reject receptacle (not shown). v

If a slug 46 with a burr or edge on one side is introduced in the chute 24 and if the burred sideof the slug faces away from the bearing 13, the peripheral edge of the slug is not detected by'the first sensing means 39 and the slug is rejected through the first reject station 27.

In the case where the slugs consist of paper or plastic or similar materials, they either go through the chute and are rejected in the same way as has-been described, or they proceed down the chute and remain stuck under one of the sensing means due to the pressure of the bearing against them. In this case, a coin reject button (not shown) may be depressed and through mechanical linkage force one end of the front plate outward slightly, thereby releasing any pressure of the bearings against the slugs allowing them to fall from within the chute. FIG. 7 shows a practical form of the invention, consisting of three coin chutes of the type already described, with an attached coin size sorter for sending coins of proper size to each of the chutcs.'l'he coin sorter can usefully determine the denomination of the coins as 25, 5, or 10 cent pieces and allows them to drop in the appropriate coin accepting chute. Of course, other size and denomination coins can also be sorted.

The coin sorter apparatus consists of a laterally extending inclined runway 60 completely enclosed so as to form a coin chute 59 of rectangular cross section and of a size suitable to guide the largest expected coin sizes as well as other coins of smaller diameter therein. The chute 59 has a slot 50 in the top of the upper end through which the coins are introduced, and openings 69, 70 and 71 adjacent and parallel to the runway 60, said openings communicating with coin accepting chutes 54, 55 and 56 respectively.

A gate 61, straddling runway 60, is of such size as to permit coins equal or smaller in diameter than the second size coin to be accepted, to roll down the runway. For instance, if Canadian cent and 5 cent pieces were to be detected, coins equal or smaller in diameter than 5 cent pieces would be allowed to pass through. A second gate 62 disposed further down the runway than gate 61' extending from the edge of chute 55 permits coins of equal or smaller diameter than the third size coin to be detected to pass. Therefore, slugs of intermediate size, between two sizes of coins to be sorted are forced to enter the next largest size coin chute.

A wedge shaped protrusion 51 extending from the side of the chute 51 over the runway 60, faces against the direction of travel of the coins running down the runway 60. The acute angle of the wedge is disposed against the wall of the chute so that coins rolling down the runway encounter the incline of the wedge and are forced off the runway 60, into the top opening, for example 71 of the chute 56. The bottom of the wedge is placed so that all coins larger than the next smaller diameter coin to be detected are caused to ride up the wedge as they roll on the runway 60, and are therefore forced off the runway into the top of the chute. Coins of smaller diameter than the distance between the top of the runway and the bottom of the wedge simply continue to roll down the runway until they encounter a wedge of appropriate size to force them off.'Wedges of progressively decreasing distances from the runway. 60 are disposed over the runway above the appropriate coin chute 54, 55 and 56.

Means may be provided to check the coins for excess thickness. Shown in FIG. 7 a, section BB of FIG. 7, is a wedging protrusion 72 extending from the wall of the chute 59 into the chute, which serves to constrict the passage of coins larger than a predetermined thickness. Such thicker coins therefore when dropping down the chute 56 get stuck in the narrowed portion of the chute. At this point, the person who entered the slug must operate a manual coin rejection mechanism, which by mechanical linkage (not shown), swings the hinged front plate 73 from the rear section 74 of the apparatus. The stuck coin is thus released to travel down the chute. However, as the front plate 73 carries the first detector means 57, any peripheral edge the coin may have is not detected, and the slug is allowed to fall down the chute and through the first reject station.

The coin chutes 54, 55 and 56 homologous to the coin accepting chute described above and each will accept or reject coins and slugs in exactly the same way as was described previously. Coin chutes 54, 55 and 56 are of a size suitable to typically guide 10 5 and 25 cent pieces respectively therein with a small amount of tolerance. Each chute comprises upper sensing means 57, lower sensing means 58, upper reject station 63, lower reject station 64 and accept station 67. Thereject stations open to the rear of the apparatusand the rejected coins can be guided therefrom to a common reject receptacle. Similarly, the accept stations open to the front of the apparatus and the coins therefrom can be guided to a common accept receptacle.

This apparatus is comprised of two main parts, a front plate 73 and a rear section 74. The front plate'is pivoted at the upper end by-means of pivots 68, and the lower end is held.

down by means of spring loaded screws 65. A lever mechanism 66 or other mechanical linkage is adapted to pivot the front plate away from the rear section,when i't'becomes necessary to dislodge slugs or odd-shaped coins that may on occasion be stuck within one of the chutes.

When a coin is introduced into the chute 59 through the coin slot 50, it drops to runway 60 down which it rolls. if the coin is of a small size, for instance a 10 cent piece, it rolls down runway 60, under the protrusion 5l, through gate 61, under the protrusion 52 and through the gate 62 whereit encounters the bevelled front of the protrusion 53. The protrusion 53 forces the coin off the runway 60 through opening 69, and into the coin accepting chute 54.

If the coin has a diameter larger than a 10 cent piece and smaller than a 25 cent piece it rolls down runway 60, under the protrusion 51, and through the gate 61 where it encounters the bevelled front of the protrusion 52 which forces it off runway 60 and into the coin accepting chute 55. If the coin has a diameter larger than that of a 5 cent piece and equal or smaller to that of a 25 cent piece, it rolls down runway "60 and encounters the bevelled front of the protrusion 51 which forces it off the runway and into the coin accepting chute 56. Once the coins are sorted by size and dropped into the appropriate coin accepting chute 54, 55 or 56, they proceed down those chutes and they are rejected or accepted in the manner described above.

A practical form of the invention would have one or more coin hoppers into which the coins or slugs are deposited, and could further include feeler devices for trapping washers 0rapertured coins and slugs.

We claim:

1. A coin accepting apparatus for automatically accepting a coin which has peripheral edges protruding from both sides thereof, comprising:

a. a chute having an entry zone and a delivery zone which comprises an accept station and first and second reject stations, said chute comprising first and second vertical sections laterally displaced from each other by more than half the width of the chute, and vertically displaced from each other by at least the width of the chute;

b. a first sensing means, comprising a resiliently loaded protuberance extending into the chute in the path of said coin and adapted to engage the inside surface of one of said peripheral edges, is disposed at the lower end of the first vertical section and is adapted to deflect the coin in a lateral direction into said second vertical section;

c. a second sensing means, comprising a resiliently loaded protuberance extending into the chute in the path of said coinand adapted to engage the inside surface of the other of said peripheral edges, is disposed at the lower end of the second vertical section and is adapted to deflect the coin in a lateral direction toward the accept station.

2. An accepting apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said chute is of predetermined width and thickness such as to allow a coin of a predetermined denomination to be guided freely in a vertical attitude therein, and further comprising:

a. a third vertical section displaced laterally from the second section by more than half the width of the chute, and vertically displaced from the second section by at least the width of the chute;

b. upper and lower horizontal chute sections joining the first and second, and second and third vertical sections respectively;

V 3,536,177' g f c.th'ebotto m;of the upper horizontal chute section opposite the .fi rst'verticalsection having an opening which defines the first reject station, and the bottom of thelower horizontal chute section opposite the second vertical sectionhaving an opening which defines the second reject station; and .thelower extremity anopening which defines the accept station. An accepting apparatus as defined in claim 2-whereinz a. each of said protuberaneeshas a sharp edge of shape and size suitable to fit between 1 the inside of ithe', said peripheral edge and the outside perimeterof the legend on ,the face of thehsmallest coin theapparatus will be required to accept; v I r b. each of said protuberances is mounted such that the edges thereof are allowed to move in a plane approximately perpendicular tothe plane of the coin; and i c. one of said protuberances is mounted inside the chute of said third verticalsection having closeto the upper junction point of the first vertical section and the first horizontal section, ahdtheotherof said protuberances is mounted inside the chute close to the junction point of the second vertical scction and the second horizontal section respectively.

4.A coin accepting apparatusas defined in claim wherein,

each of said protuberances extends intolthe chute in thepa't'h of said coins a distance approximately, but not greater th'an,

the diameter of the coin minusthe thickness of the said edge from the side of thechute opposite the horizontal sectiori, and; approximately on the virtual horizontal line formed by t li'e'l 7 lower extremity of the :vertical section.

5. An accepting apparatus each sensing means comprises a flangedbearing with a sharpedg'ed outer periphery and a leaf spring, one end of which supwall of the chute.

as defined in claini 1 wherein 

